Plateau State has endured cycles of communal violence for decades. The clashes, often framed along ethnic and religious lines, have claimed thousands of lives and displaced entire communities. The first major crisis in Jos erupted on 11 September 2001, and the pattern has repeated since. The events of February to April 2026 are part of this long and painful history, but with a new and dangerous element: social media amplified the violence in ways never seen before.
The First Reprisal: Barkin Ladi
It began on a Monday.
On 23 February, suspected Fulani gunmen attacked Dorowa Babuje village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, killing seven people, according to the evidence log. Within hours, youths from the affected community blocked the main road. Security sources said four travellers were killed at the scene, while a fifth later died from their injuries. Two of the victims were from Jos North, a detail that soon reappeared in online discussions.
On Facebook, the violence unfolded in real time. A post by CMN (Civic Media News) on its Facebook page reported the roadblock and the killings, while a voice recording shared by one Murtala Mai Igiya captured a caller saying a traveller had been “finished.” The Hausa conversation spread faster than any official clarification. Amnesty International Nigeria later issued a condemnation of the killings.
